Climate Change

Q1: First of all, Sweden tackles climate change since 1998 thanks to Kyoto Protocol signing. This environmental protocol allows to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, Sweden makes big spending in research and development (3,3 per cent of GDP in 2013). These investments allowed to Sweden to be one of the most innovative countries in environment-related technologies and a leader in the development of clean energy technologies according to a 2014 OECD report.

Q2: Indeed, there are a lot of clean energy technologies. For solar energy, we can speak about solar panels or solar planes like the Solar Impulse prototype. For wind power, there are obviously the wind turbines or the windmills. Furthermore, for the Hydro-electric power, there are hydraulic dams, tidal turbines or tidal power plants. Finally, the biomass is also a clean energy technology.

Q3: The agriculture sector is responsible for 11.1% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2012 in the United States.

Q4: This cartoon tackles the problem of global warming which contributes to ice melting. On the cartoon, we could see 3 polar bears (parents with baby). They are on a small part of ice. We can imagine the fact that this ice is the rest of the floe, which is the place of life of polar bears. On this part of ice, the mother read the newspaper whose main title refers to the Kyoto Protocol. We can deduce this information thanks to the year that is mentioned (1995) and the title “Nation Reach Climate Change Accord”. After read this article, the mother says “We may have a chance to survive”. With this sentence, the cartoonist wants to denounce the delay in decision-making to save the nature and especially the floe. For him, politicians have acted too late and we cannot go back.

Main question: To stop climate change, we must limit waste by fighting against overconsumption and plastic waste and develop recycling. We need also to develop the use of green or less polluting transport like public transport (metro, train or bus), electric or hybrid cars or also bikes. Moreover, all countries must create pollution quotas for industries and companies to regulate air pollution even if some countries put it in place. Sadly, they are not many. It’s necessary to increase the number of renewable energies installations to separate from non-renewable energies like oil or shale gas. Each of us must act with small actions to stop climate change like do not let the devices on standby mode, turn off the lights when you leave a room or also take more showers than baths. To finish, we need to stop the deforestation and create more global climate agreements like the Kyoto Protocol or COP 21.